Post navigation

Looking Back, Looking Forward: 2010 Wrap Up

It’s been an amazing year to be a part of The Arc. The support of people like you has been crucial in furthering our mission to provide hope and opportunity for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Looking back on 2010, our 60th anniversary year, we are in awe of what you have helped us accomplish. And, looking forward to 2011, with your continued support, we are poised to accomplish even more.

The Arc works to foster respect and access for individuals with I/DD and their families, giving them the power to achieve full and satisfying lives as valued, contributing members of their communities. In 2010 alone we moved ever closer to our goals through:

The passage of Rosa’s Law, removing the derogatory term “mental retardation” from federal laws

The establishment of new protections guaranteeing people with disabilities can’t be denied health insurance or have their coverage ended

The creation of a new voluntary public insurance program for long-term services and supports to help people live in their own homes, not institutions

The development of new criminal penalities for hate crimes against people with disabilities

The launch of Walmart Foundation-funded School-to-Community Transition services in 50 U.S. communities

The Arc is determined to build on the progress of 2010 and foster change in 2011 through a huge initiative to provide a strong new brand identity under which all of our 730+ chapters can come together. You’ll find out more about that in your February 2011 E-newsletter just before the national launch of the new brand. In the meantime, we’ll be moving forward with Autism NOW, an information and resource center just established by a $1.87 million grant from the Administration on Developmental Disabilities. And, we’ll be putting to work a large grant from NISH to foster community-based employment opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Thanks for being a supporter of The Arc. We rely on the generosity and loyalty of friends like you. We hope you will take this opportunity to visit www.thearc.org for more information about ways you can help make a difference for years to come.